Monday, November 28, 2011

Wow 12 years have passed since Third Strike was released in the arcades here in the States. I admit I had never put the time in with Street Fighter III, like I did with Street Fighter II and Street Fighter IV...but I know I'm not the only one. I only started playing Street Fighter III when I bought the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection for PS2, I wasn't to keen on the game back then but with my reignited fighting spirit ,thanks to SFIV, I truly want to sink my teeth into SFIII3SOE! I've met many players that insist 3S is the pinnacle of the series and I want to see if I judged SFIII3S prematurely.I wanted to buy this on day 1 but due to the PS3 being unusable for a couple months (long story short...angry wife) I had to wait till November to get SFIII3SOE.From everything I was reading on Capcom Unity regarding the issues at launch I'm kinda glad I waited.Before we get to the review of the game itself there were issues with the game in the PS Store! The Store had the Demo and Full game mixed up, in other words if someone wanted to DL the demo they would actually DL the full game...not a big deal but still, cmon!Graphically SFIII3SOE is gorgeous with the HD filters running.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Anime Matsuri focuses on the promotion of anime and Japanese culture and its related industries in a fun event for the entire family. Anime Matsuri also serves as a meeting place for members of the industry to connect with the fans and gather feedback on their products and services.For the three day weekend, Anime Matsuri creates an atmosphere for talented artists, business leaders, ambitious students and many more who come together to express creative ideas and find solutions to industry questions.

This year I opted not to post awful cos players vs pro's like Yaya Han...maybe next year ;)

I did notice on Yaya's site that she had colaborated with a Anime Matsuri and stars in a Resident Evil fan film titled Ada Rising (pic on left). Ada Rising will hit the interwebs on 12-13-11 on animematsuri .

I've never heard of this con before but all you crazy cos players that go have fun and if there's any good (by good I mean attractive) Sheryl Nome cos players

send me your pics so I can scrutinize them...and Yaya if you're reading this pls do a Lyn Minmay photo shoot!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

After seeing Skullgirls at EVO 2K11 and being utterly unimpressed, I've just stumbled upon this lil jem from the land of the rising sun. With Street Fighter IV single handedly resurrecting the fighting game genre and all the familiar franchises rising from the ashes it's great to see some new IP's sprouting up, Character animation looks solid, hit detection looks tight, specials and "finishers" look great, stages look great and I like the 2D sprites...brings me back to 1991 in the arcades. I swear while watching this video I saw Sheryl Nome, Ranka and Alto from Macross Frontier! I hope this makes it's way over here!aquapazza website

This short film by Jesus Orellana had me glued to my monitor, as far as I can tell it's 100% CGI, there's no dialog through out the almost 10 minute film but with the abundance of action and atmosphere none is required. The film is a visual tour de force and by the end you'll be wanting to see more.The graphics are trully next gen and it feels like a graphics engine demo video, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible! The inspirations seen in Rosa are obvious but work perfectly in the film!For more info check out the Official Rosa website .

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Entertainment weekly's latest issue has some very interesting pics of Ridley Scotts Prometheus. I am really looking forward to this film....to say I have high hopes for Prometheus is a bit of an understatement. With the Interwebs minions working overtime analyzing the images and supposed leaked trailer my anticipation is growing!Prometheus is planned for June 8, 2012 release and regardless of what Scott says I believe there will be a definite connection between 1979's Alien and 2012's Prometheus...tell me you don't recognize the inside of the derelict space craft in the second picture with the big humanoid face!? And look closely at Idris Elba's tee shirt in the shot with Charlize Theron....I believe that is the Weyland Yutani logo!And the very last pic screams face hugger hatchery inside derelict space vessel!And kudo's to the maker of the fan made poster I used for this post it has just enough of an Aliens homage without being too obvious...kinda like the tiny morsels of info that have made their way to the interwebs.

Today we celebrate Thanksgiving a day Native Americans and Pilgrims sat together in peace and harmony and ate Perdue or Shady Brook Farms oven buster Turkeys, Cranberry sauce that slid out of the can like dog food, Stuffing made with at least 2 whole sticks of Land O' Lakes Butter, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffed Mushrooms, Enteman's Coconut Custard Pie and washed it down with a frosty Sam Adams or Milwaukee's Best. Then the Native American and pilgrim men rolled themselves into the living room to watch football or play Modern Warfare3 while the women cleaned the kitchen.Later the fella's sliped into a food coma while the women sat around in the kitchen and complained incessantly....And thus an American holiday was born!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

I enjoyed the Wings of Goodbye, but I think if a fan of Macross, that some how missed the series, saw the movie they might not enjoy it as much. In my opinion the differences between MF and MF:WOG are not as poignant as SDFM and DYRL. The characters are significantly better realized in MF:WOG than in the series, most notably Alto, Ranka and Sheryl, I remember watching the series and feeling like they were developing the characters as they went. In themovie the three seemed like they were finally truly realized. Alto feels more grounded and mature and less of an angst ridden teen trying to find his own way in the world versus following the family Kabuki tradition. Ranka seemed a lot less childish and Sheryl much less stand offish, which I think was their major short coming early in the series for both of the characters.I think old school fans, fans of SDFM/DYRL will have issues with the surfing Macross Quarter, I was like WTF but went with it, and it really didn't detract much from my enjoyment of the movie. The animation quality was superb from start to finish, the songs were good but I liked the songs from the series much more. The Open Ranka concert song being the notable exception.Like the series there are many homages to past Macross series and even a quick cameo by Isamu Dyson!I'm glad they finally resolved the triangle but it still felt like a bit of a cop out having Alto pull a Shin at the end. Of all the resolutions throughout Macross' history SDFM still has the best ending in my opinion followed by Macross Plus.Macross Frontier: Wings of Goodbye is an awesome anime movie and a very good Macross movie that I think is better enjoyed if you've seen the series first.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Check out the Soul Calibur V trailer just released by Namco Bandai. Looks like they're recapping the games history from SCIII onwards. For those looking to pre order the CE head over to soulcalibur.comInteresting trailer especially at 1:32 when someone logs off the PSN @.@

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

This movie may be hitting theaters at just the right time, with public frustration with our own government growing more and more the themes in the story may hit very close to home. The obvious comparisons to other films like The Running Man, Logans Run, and The Island are unavoidable but this film may actually be leaps and bounds intellectually above those films.For more info check out the movies official site at thehungergamesmovie.com

Monday, November 14, 2011

The full cinematic intro for UMVC3 was just released by Capcom, again it's pretty awesome with the whole Matrix thing going on and all. Poor Pheonix Wright you're barely noticeable.If you're a fan of this series I'm sure you're gonna get it...me I'll stick with Street Fighter...and if you think Capcom won't be releasing an UMVC3 AE or something like it you're only lieing to yourself...and now if you'll excuse me I need to count the days to the SSFIVAE 2012 balance patch.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Today in the U.S., we observe Veterans Day to pay tribute to our country’s veterans, to those whohave made the ultimate sacrafice in the service of protecting the rights and freedoms of our country, and to their families.To those who have served the United States of America in past and present I sincerely appreciate the contributions of our country’s veterans.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Square Enix just released info on the Collectors Edition for FFXIII-2 in North America. Of the three retailers I would recomend the Best Buy Pre-Order as the other two can easily become DLC at a later date.

The FINAL FANTASY XIII–2 collector's edition will be available in limited quantities at GameStop®, Amazon® and Best Buy® for $79.99. Enclosed in premium packaging featuring artwork by Yoshitaka Amano, the collector's edition boasts an impressive 4–disc official soundtrack and a collection of concept artwork. The full–color concept art collection contains material from the making of FINAL FANTASY XIII–2, with a variety of never–before–seen illustrations, environments and more.Additional exclusive incentives are available for users who preorder the standard or Collector's Editions for FINAL FANTASY XIII–2 at the following retail outlets:GameStop®Receive an exclusive in–game item by preordering at GameStop e/retailers– Alternate costume for Serah, visible throughout the gameAmazon®Omega Boss Battle– Unique coliseum battle against boss enemy "Omega," who joins the player's party afterwardBest Buy®Collectible Hardcover Book– FINAL FANTASY XIII –Episode i– novella, an original story that ties together the events of FINAL FANTASY XIII and FINAL FANTASY XIII–2This collector's edition is exclusive for North America and may not reflect editions available in other territories.FINAL FANTASY XIII–2will be available at North American retailers on January 31, 2012.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

A couple months back I received an email from Square Enix regarding a new game called Wakfu, the first thing that caught my attention was the very unique art style! So I did a little research and this little gem is based on an animated TV series ( wakfu TV Series ), it's an MMO, it's a Strategy RPG sorta like Final Fantasy Tactics...but this game has no ties at all to the FF games.The game is in closed beta right now, but should launch February 2012 according to the games page on the Square Enix website http://www.wakfu.com/na/mmorpg

LOS ANGELES (October 28, 2011) — Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in the Americas and ANKAMA, an independent digital creation group and developer, today announced that their upcoming tactical massively multiplayer online role–playing game (MMORPG), WAKFU®, will be launching worldwide in February 2012. WAKFU will launch as a free download from the official site at www.wakfu.com/na and include with it a large amount of gameplay content to experience at no cost. In addition, a monthly subscription fee of $6.00 will give players access to premium content, and a microtransaction–based store will allow users to purchase cosmetic items.

"WAKFU's deep political and combat system combined with an ever–changing ecosystem delivers an exceptional MMORPG unlike any other product in its category," said Mona Hamilton, vice president of marketing for Square Enix. "The team at Ankama created a unique, fun and entertaining online game and we believe a monthly subscription fee and online store makes for a rewarding experience all players can enjoy."

With up to 14 distinct, completely customizable character classes to select from and a variety of missions and turn–based combat to engage in, WAKFU takes place in a vibrant and immersive anime art style world where players' choices are paramount and actions directly impact a continuously evolving ecosystem. Featuring a rich political system, players can defend their nation against enemy attacks, conquer new territories, vote, elect government officials and even run for governor!

So Who missed work today and pulled an all nighter last night? I did that for MW2 got home at 2 AM and went to work the next day with totally blood shot eyes and a throbbing headache.Below is the "There's a soldier in all of us" commercial for MW3....Jonah Hill, really? Sam Worthington is ok I suppose,but Jonah Hill is probably more of a gamer in real life. I think the Black Ops Trailer was so much better! You be the judge..

Over at buriedplanet Krogenar has recently discovered the power of Pheonix Wright, and cannot wait to throw the proverbial "book" at 'em! Yes Pheonix Write the man himself is becoming a force of justice to be reckoned with, he's a new character in UMVC3, and now Pheonix Wright will be gracing the silver screen!

Monday, November 7, 2011

The first year spike did the VGA's I was into it...until I sat there and tried to watch it. Good Lord Almighty that was painful! And it hasn't really risen above mediocre in my opinion, the whole show is just painful to watch with ridiculous over the top antics and presenters that can't even get the games title correct. It boggles my mind how an industry that is rivaling Hollywood can't do better! With that off my chest this year's VGA's on Spike will be hosted by Geoff Keighley, and the executive producer is Mark Burnett...so there is a chance that this years VGA's might actually be viewable.The VGA's are December 10, 2011 at 8PM et.For mor intel head over to Spike's VGA website

In the third massive world video with Todd Batty and art director Geoff Coates we are shown Kilimanjaro in Africa where the deadly descent is......darkness @.@...ok I wonder if that was done on purpose. Next is The Rockies where you'll be avoiding trees, grinding power lines and a train wreck and finally The Alps where you'll be trying to avoid large rocks and boulders as you're carving the powder!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Bond 23 has a title Skyfall, and a villian...Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men).The official plot synopsis reads;"As MI6 comes under attack 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost."

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Here's the official trailer for R*'s next chapter in the GTA franchise! Lots to take in, so far I see we're in the city of Los Santos, confirmed that @ 1:05 on the police car, there's also Las Puerta and Vinewood. And is that a homeless Niko Belic @ 00:59!? I am wondering if we're not being shown the main character because R* plans to have multiple intertwined storylines ala Crash! That would be something!

Square released the final box art for FFXIII-2 yesterday via their official FFXIII twitter page .
I'm not crazy about it, I usually like the minimalist approach Square uses for their FF titles boxart. This just comes across as a lazy ctrl. C ctrl. V job.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

This was a fascinating film, it certainly won't have you feeling very uplifted when you leave the theater. It was a very thought provoking film though, I'm not entirely sure this film can be categorized as a Sci-fi/ Drama. The film is set with two distinct chapters the first titled Justine which focuses on Kirsten Dunsts' characters wedding reception at her sister's mansion. Her sister Claire and her husband have spared no expense for Justine and her new husband. It is blindingly clear that Claire and John (Keifer Sutherland) are extremely wealthy, it's not clear if Justine and Michael are. We first see Justine and Michael in the stretched limousine struggling to navigate the thrawned trail leading to John and Claire's estate, already things are not going well. They finally arrive two hours late and the guests are becoming restless as is the caterers, it's here we learn that Claire has coordinated the entire evenings affairs and is frustrated by their tardiness...her plans are now out of sync. To make matters worse Justine seems to avoid joining the celebration by going to the stables to see her horse, it's here Justine notices the star of Antares, and we learn John is an avid astronomer. According to John the star seems to be brighter than usual....but by the end of the first act Antares is no longer visible.
The evening by all standards is a collosal failure, the evening would best be described as the polar opposite of a Disney princess film.

The second act, Claire, begins a few weeks after the failed wedding with Justine in a severe state of depression, we hear how debilitating depression and Kisten Dunst does an impressive job of displaying a trully believable person in the throes of depression.
While Claire struggles to care for her ill sister the effects can be seen taking their toll on her and her family. Also the second half of the film introduces the astrological phenomenon of Melancholia, a giant earth-like planet that will, according to scientists, safely pass by earth in a few days. Claires husband John is elated and wants to share his excitement with his son Leo. Claire begins to show signs of concern, she has read articles online regarding Melancholia and the "Dance of Death". Claire's anxiety builds as her concern over the collision grows stronger and stronger. Her Husband tries futilely to calm her till The night Melancholia passes by. Interestingly as Claire's calm controlled persona unravels with the approach of Melancholia Justine seems to regain composure and displays an unnerving serenity with the threat of Melancholia growing ever larger.
As mentioned prior depression is a debilitating force many people struggle with, the director, Lars von Trier actually was suffering from depression while writing this film. I'm sure we've all seen the commercials for the anti depressant pill Cymbalta or Zoloft they tell you that Depression not only affects the person but everyone around them and that brings me back to my original statement about this films categorization as Sci Fi/ Drama. After seeing the film and digesting everything I saw, I believe the planet Melancholia is the directors avenue of visually representing the size, scope and magnitude of Justine's illness and the films conclusion is the outcome it had on John and Claire's family.
Regardless of what I think, the film is worth seeing, but be warned the title says it all!